


Rising Needs

by Merfilly



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Gen, Masturbation, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-01
Updated: 2012-05-01
Packaged: 2017-11-04 16:38:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/395940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Menolly was caught unawares by Beauty. Silvina teaches a lesson or two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rising Needs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EllieMurasaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/gifts).



> In gratitude for generosity toward a fandom hat-passing.

Beauty's first flight took Menolly by surprise, as none of them truly had a way to gauge the cycle and ages of the Fire-lizards, hers being among the eldest bonded. Fortunately for her, it was her own bronze that caught Beauty, leaving Menolly to be embarrassed in private at the rippling, dual waves of sensuality that had overcome her in the pre-dawn of a Fortian spring. The cool air from her opened window helped her bring some equilibrium back to herself, her body still buzzing with energy and roused desires. She had, on blind instinct, fumbled at easing the tensions, but this was not something her sisters or mother had ever thought to talk with her about, leaving her only half-sated, and that mostly because of Rocky's smug contentment and Beauty's trilling pleasure.

She had to stop and think through it all, to make logical sense of it once the air had cooled her skin some. This would keep happening, but she was of no mind to take a husband that would interfere with her being a Harper. She also had to provide Beauty with a place for her eggs, eggs that her Master could use to his advantage in smoothing troubles for the Hall. The eggs were an easy problem to focus on, and she thought Silvina might be the best bet to help her on the front. The other… well, she would just have to worry about it a little at a time.

It was still early, but the kitchen would be in full swing. She needed to have time to clean up, as her sweat had an odor to it she was not comfortable with, and then she would need to feed the fair. Perhaps they would be content to let Piemur and Camo handle that, and give her the chance she needed to make an appointment with Silvina for after the duty day was done.

Cleaning up, though, told her the other issue wasn't just going to vanish all that easily, as the texture of her cleaning cloth and the water trickling over her body left her with a bruised lip from biting it. Somehow, she'd have to figure out who she could talk to about the sheer biology of the matter.

`~`~`~`~`

Silvina was a busy woman, and had been since she was but a child helping her mother. She was also perceptive enough that if the Weyr had been searching, none doubted she would have had a dragon all her own. Her manner of managing the Hall had the apprentices whispering of mind gifts, and the journeymen certain of them. The masters young enough to have come up during her tenure treated her with the respect due their own Master, while those of an age to her knew the value of her counsel. In short, if there was a person within the Hall who was loved as much as Robinton himself, it was Silvina.

Upon seeing Menolly with none of her fair on her shoulders, and only seven clinging to Camo and Piemur in the courtyard, Silvina had known something was amiss. Nor was it hard to discern what, given the nature of her waking dream that morning, and it being the gold and one of the bronzes Silvina could not find. The wildness of Menolly's eyes, the faint bruising of her lower lip, and certain other signs told the perceptive woman that the fire-lizards' maturity had taken the young lady unaware. Sixteen Turns and a bit, if Silvina remembered right, meant that in a hold, Menolly would already have been married off.

Seeing as she'd run from home the Turn prior, Silvina had to wonder how much knowledge the girl had. They were in the shadow of Benden, so possibly the mating flights there had been… educational, as so many in Fort had learned once the Oldtimers came forward. Mating flights were supposed to go over mostly unpopulated land, but sometimes a green flew the wrong way, or a gold was too powerful for her rider to control.

"Menolly?" she queried when the young woman got close to her with obvious intent on speaking, yet the age-old shyness was visibly in her way. A Turn of freedom and harpering had helped, but those issues died hard.

"I was curious if I might have a bit of your time tonight, once the day is done?"

Silvina gave her an encouraging smile. "I don't help with dinner clean up, so once the dining hall clears, feel free to come find me in my chambers."

Menolly smiled back, ducking her head a little, and then nodded briskly. "Thank you, Silvina." She then hurried back out to save Camo from the overly touchy Diver, irked by his failure to out-perform his brother. Silvina watched her go, and then settled back into the work of the day.

`~`~`~`~`

Beauty was back in her usual place as a shoulder accessory and necklace when Menolly came to Silvina's chambers that evening. The rest of the fair were lined up on the heights, behaving themselves in the drowsy part of the dusk.

Silvina let her in, and indicated the two cups of mint tisane waiting.

"Thought it was a bit late for klah, since Robinton's not in residence, and you're less apt to take wine," Silvina told her. "Sit and we'll talk. Been meaning to ask how you're getting on, being his own Journeywoman and all that entails."

Menolly took a seat as indicated, sipping the light brew, enjoying the way it cooled the back of her throat. She then focused on the offered conversation, nodding a little with her small smile. "I am well, and find it so rewarding to travel on his behalf. All the things I can see and do…" she added, voice trailing off in the still fresh wonder of being Robinton's chosen journeywoman. The sound made Silvina happy, grateful all over again that even considering how bad things had been at points during her Turn here, Menolly could still find so much joy at simply being here.

"Well, I know you've alleviated a good bit of the weight on Robinton, and Sebell is thankful for the assistance. So, if you need anything at all, I want you certain of the fact you can come here," Silvina told her, to open the door to whatever it was Menolly had on her mind.

"I… I do know. And that's why I thought of you. See, I have a problem." She rubbed her cheek along Beauty's drowsing head, to keep her queen calm. "You see, Beauty flew this morning…"

Silvina had been right, and she wanted to sigh for not having had Robinton ask a few more questions at Benden. "With Robinton gone, and no mature bronzes but your own in the Hall and Hold, that must have been quite the problem for you."

Menolly turned nearly as red as her hair, as Silvina bluntly jumped to the problem Menolly wasn't certain how to discuss at all. "That's not why I need you, though!"

"Well, I'd be a bit long in the tooth to help you directly, but I can at least give you advice," Silvina said, almost amused to watch the flush deepen more. Truly, were all Hold girls so sheltered from the truth their own selves?

"I… It…"

"Easy, girl. You've got to face that issue, what with your pretty gold there, and two strong bronze lads? Even the two Aunties might prove a bit of a hassle in time."

"But that's… I don't want to marry!"

Silvina blinked and then shook her head firmly. "Of course not, and you don't forget that intent! Because there's nothing at all that says you must until you decide on it. But marriage hasn't anything to do with taking care of that particular mood, I'll have you know right off!"

"It doesn't?" Menolly looked both relieved and hopeful, making Silvina pour more of the tisane for them both, and settle back to explain a few things to the young woman.

"No, dear girl, but it's no surprise you think it, sorry as teaching got in some places, and with as backwards as holders can be." She sighed with exasperation. "Any man or woman is going to have urges, Menolly. And acting on them is no shame. With you pressed by your fair, it is a good idea for you to get it in your head to take a discreet lover here or there as you need. You don't want them to realize they distress you just by being the natural things they are, now do you?"

"No, I don't…" Menolly answered rapidly, soothing Beauty with caresses as the gold reacted to her emotional upheaval, worried creel deep in her chest.

"Good." Silvina considered how to talk this over. "I presume from what we've said so far, you managed alone today?" At Menolly's hesitant nod and flush, Silvina reached over and patted her hand soothingly. "No shame in that, Menolly. At all. I'd suggest you might need to get to know yourself better, even, just in case the situation arises again."

The inadvertent pun and the sheer embarrassment level made Menolly giggle, and Silvina joined her with a chuckle. She watched the young woman filter through the ideas and then nod, accepting what was good for her fair, and herself. "But… what about the not marrying part?" Menolly asked after drinking more of the tisane.

"If you see a man… or a woman, and don't look so scandalized… that you fancy, get to know them. And I think if you listen to the tune of your own body, learn its chords, you'll know just how to build the melody from there." Silvina was proud that she could make the musical metaphors her harpers seemed to understand so well work in this situation.

"What of babies?" Menolly questioned, concerned, for she was a full journeywoman, with all the travel that entailed. It was also unlucky to be an unwed mother, or so the Aunties and Uncles used to say.

Silvina's eyes darkened a bit, before she answered. "There's herbs. Things you take, that make your body unready for such."

"I… I didn't mean to upset you," Menolly said swiftly, worried for the darkening and the change in Silvina's tone.

"Oh, don't you fret. I chose not to once, and the child… added to the pain of the man I hoped to help recover from grief-sickness." Silvina watched Menolly put pieces of Hall gossip together, and then the harper was the one patting at Silvina's hand, making the Headwoman catch that hand and hold it. "It's old pain, and long since reconciled in my soul. He's a happy man, and knows no ill."

"So he is, Silvina, and I cherish his friendship the more for it," Menolly reassured her.

That made Silvina more proud of the young woman, before she squeezed Menolly's fingers. "So, if you hadn't worked the nerve up to ask about this subject, what did you come to ask for?"

"Oh!" Menolly brightened, shoving the new and unsettling ideas to the back of her brain so she could focus on Beauty's needs. "Beauty will clutch! And that means making certain she's got sands and heat and I have no idea where to encourage her to do so, or how! I suspect she'd go back to Half-Circle on her own, given how often they all come back reeking of fish and seaweed, but… the Harper will need her eggs!"

Silvina blinked, and then slowly nodded in time with her thoughts as she processed all of that. "You are certainly correct there. Which means we'll just have to see how we can make our own Hatching Ground here at the hall! For Beauty, and for Kimi in due time." For some reason, and Silvina was almost certain she knew why, that observation made Menolly blush again. Well, it wouldn't hurt a bit to meddle in those affairs, if Menolly had taken a liking to her fellow harper. "I'll set to thinking on it, and see if Master Jerint might have ideas, seeing as he came up with that drying chest for his drum skins."

"Oooh. So he did!" Menolly brightened at that thought. "We'll figure it out then, and Master Robinton will have eggs to trade and to use for soothing tempers!"

Silvina laughed, pleased to set the younger woman more even-keeled. They'd work through this all, and in time, Menolly was going to grow into all of the potential Silvina and Robinton both saw in her.


End file.
